Crazy
by pocketmouse34
Summary: During the bombing of her home, Farrah is taken. She doesn't know where she is or what's going on. The only connection she has to the real world is her mental cell mate Annie. How can she keep from becoming just like Annie, a hysterically laughing loon?
1. Chapter 1

"Annie," I whispered leaning my head against the cold, hard wall. "Annie!"

"Farrah," she acknowledges.

I laugh even though nothing is funny. I laugh an empty, humorless, desperate laugh until I can't breath. Annie is laughing too on the other side of the wall.

I don't wonder why she's laughing or why I'm laughing. I don't wonder about anything al all.


	2. Chapter 2

My dreams are full of memories, allowing me to relive the beautiful moments that make up my life. The bad moments are there too; the ones that are hard to remember but impossible to forget. Our whole life can come down to one moment you know deciding if you're a hero or a zero, a friend or an enemy, alive or dead. A moment can define who you are.

I see the scene unfold in front of me; two girls snuggled up close in a sleeping bag. Cassidy looks younger with her blond hair tied back in a long braid and I'm wearing my old glasses giggling at something she had said.

"Farrah," she says seriously looking me in the eye. "I have to tell you something."

"What?" I ask matching her tone.

"You," she pauses and takes a deep breath. "You Farrah, are my best friend."

A smile breaks across my face as I whisper, "And you Cassidy, are mine."

The room spins and I see us eight years later, walking down the hallway of the school building. We're taller and our features are more defined, make-up is on our faces, our hair's straightened, and contacts are in. Cassidy flashes a smile and I wave as we separate, me heading to Biology and her to Math.

But instead of going to her usual class, she hangs a left and scurries into the bathroom. I feel like I'm being slapped in the face as I watch Cassidy pull out a big red marker and write 'FARRAH CRESTA IS A SLUT' on the mirror. She writes things about me every day for two weeks and soon other girls do also. They write ugly lies, but Cassidy is the one who puts up the worst things; my secrets.

I relax as the scene changes again, this time I'm with Jackson. We're hiking through the woods and I'm sweaty and sore. "Where are you taking me?" I ask for the millionth time.

"Are you always this impatient? I told you it's a surprise," he says smiling as I groan. "Now close your eyes."

"Why?" I ask uncertainly.

"Just trust me," Jackson says wrapping his arms around my shoulders and placing his hand over my eyes. Slowly he leads me to our destination. "Ready?"

"Yes," I whisper.

My jaw drops as his hand moves away revealing a breathtaking waterfall.

Before I'm ready for it to, my vision blurs and I'm whisked away into a different memory. I'm still with Jackson but now we're sitting together in the field. The sun was setting and I leaned into his chest feeling like nothing mattered but his heartbeat and the beautiful colors making up the sky.

"Farrah, I… I got to tell you something," he says playing with my dark curls.

"What?" I ask turning to face him.

He's frowning and his face is creased with sadness. I never know exactly what color his eyes are, always having a different mix of green, blue, and gray swirled together in a way I could never describe except as mesmerizing. But for now all I see is anger, uncertainty, and most of all longing in his eyes.

"I'm moving," he mumbles. "Tomorrow."

I close my eyes and when I open them again I see my dad and little brother out in the front yard. Aiden's dark hair pokes out from under my dad's baseball cap and I stand across from them holding out a floppy glove four sizes too big.

"Get ready!" my dad calls, winding up. The little girl scrunches her nose in concentration watching the ball with a determined expression. She backs up as the baseball flies through the air and jumps up to catch it at the last second. "You did it!" my dad yells proudly and two years old Aiden squeals as he wobbles up to hug me.

There's a flash and then I find myself in my house. The younger me is huddled quietly in the corner and it's dark. Aiden's sleeping and my parents are in the kitchen, my mom throwing a vase of lilies at the wall. They're arguing about money and work and me.

She says he doesn't work hard enough. He says he's tired of carrying the weight of a family by himself. She says that's stupid that they're in this together. He says that's a lie. She cries. He storms out. She tells me that he'll come back. He doesn't.

I wake up screaming for my dad who never comes.


	3. Chapter 3

Ch. 2

"Farrah, Mom wants to know if you'll pick up some milk for her," Aiden says appearing in my doorway with a wad of bills in one hand.

I put away the math problems I had been working on and slip on my boots. Playfully, Aiden throws the money at me. "Don't be late for dinner."

"I won't," I promise heading out the door.

The sun is shining and a light breeze tickles my neck. I'm glad to be out of the house, even if it is just to run another errand. Lots of people are out and about and today feels like one of those movies where everyone greets each other by name and cheerful music plays in the background.

"Farrah."

The one word stops me in my tracks, or at least the voice calling it out to me does. I'm afraid to look up, to realize it is all my imagination; to realize that the sun isn't really shining but it's burning, to realize that my dad isn't calling me but just someone who sounds like him.

"Farrah."

I look up anyway.

"Dad?"

"Hey Sweetheart!" he says pulling me into a hug. I breath in the musky smell of his shirt that always makes me feel safe and reminds me of home.

"Where've you been?" I ask shakily holding tight to his embrace, not willing to let him go yet.

"Around," he answers. "I've been busy with work and… stuff. But enough about me, how has my Sweetheart been doing?"

"Okay," I lie. I want to tell him about Cassidy's betrayal, my boyfriend dumping and ditching me, and how all Mom does now is lock herself in her room but I don't want to push him away again. "Aiden's learning how to play the tuba now and I got an A on my history report."

"Good," he says and a lump forms in my throat. "Very good."

I pretend not to see the tear run down his cheek as he forces me into another tight hug.

"Dad, I lo… what's that smell?" I ask alert pulling away from him, a look of panic is in his eyes. I can't come up with a reason for the smell of gasoline. "What's going on… Dad?"

"Farrah," he says urgently before there's a loud explosion. "Stay here," he yells throwing me behind a row of trash cans. "I have to find your Mom. I love you."

"Dad!" I scream. "No, don't leave me! Daddy, please!"

But he's already gone. I see a shower of fire and I close my ears as a popping sound disseminates throughout the streets. "Daddy!"

He meets my eyes and mouths 'I love you' before the smoke envelopes him.


	4. Chapter 4

Ch. 3

"No!" I scream, but my voice is lost in the chaos. I can't comprehend what's going on, why it's going on. All I see is bright colors and I'm choking on the air. "Daddy!"

I crumple to the ground, coughing. Still fighting. I crawl to where my dad is and when I can't crawl anymore I drag myself. I scream. I cry. I do anything to show that I haven't given up.

Even when I'm lifted and put into a black truck, I fight.


	5. Chapter 5

Ch. 4

I sit up slowly, my head spinning. The room around me is foreign, dark, and cold. In the corner there's a toilet, the walls are bare, and I'm on a hard bed without covers or a pillow. When I look down I see that I'm wearing an orange jumpsuit, just like prisoners wear. The steel door is locked and there's no windows.

"Okay," I tell myself taking deep breaths. "I'm going to be okay. I'm alive. I'm not hurt. Everything will be okay."

"Ha! No it won't," a soft voice laughs.

I look around confused, wondering if I'm already going crazy. "Trust me, you'll wish you were dead. Hahaha," the voice speaks again and this time I figure out where it's coming from. There's a small piece of the wall missing above the bed.

"Who are you?" I ask through the hole.

"Annie."

"I'm Farrah," I wait but Annie doesn't say anything else. "Annie, what is this place."

"Hell."

"Why are you laughing?" I ask scared. "Annie?"

She never answers my question. It's undeniable that Annie's mental, by the ever present laughter and singsong tone of her voice. I pace the small room back and forth, trying to collect my thoughts.

I don't know where I am, where my family is, what happened to Cassidy or Jackson, or why I'm in a cell. Really, I don't know anything.

Suddenly I hear screaming. The sound is inhumane, pained, and pitiful. "Annie, what are they doing to him?" I ask.

"The first day is the worst."

"Annie, why is he screaming like that?" I try again.

"The first day is the worst."

"First day of what?" I ask desperate for a straight answer.

"The rest of your life."

The door to the room opens and Annie immediately stops laughing. "Get up." A man in a white uniform orders. He has a slight accent but I don't know from where. His skin is a bronze color and he has black bushy eyebrows.

"Where are we going?" I ask reluctant to follow him.

He slaps me hard across the cheek, but I'm too stunned to react. "You'll learn to keep your mouth shut unless asked to do so otherwise real quick you little rat." He says harshly. I keep quiet as he leads me down a corridor into another room. It's completely empty other than a metal chair. I'm told to take a seat and I do. The uniformed man leaves and another person walks in.

"Welcome to your new home Farrah," the person says. His voice gives me chills, the way it sounds like it's computer generated. His hair is snow white and as he gets closer the scent of sulfur overwhelms me. I don't have the courage to look him in the eyes. "Things here are simple. We do whatever we please and you deal with it. No arguing, no resisting us, and no requests. Understand?"

I nod, my eye trained on the ground.

"Good. Now do you know why you're here?" he asks.

"No."

I feel a sharp stab of pain in my back. "Liar," the man accuses, but his voice stays in the same monotone.

"I really don't know what's going on," I swear and I feel the electric shock again.

"Liar."

"I…" I'm shocked again and again. I can't speak or see from the repeated bursts of pain. The whole time, the man just watches with a trace of a smile on his red lips. Finally another man comes into the room and it stops.

"We don't want to kill our guest now do we?" he asks the man with white hair. "She's more use alive."

"I doubt it. She has no idea what's going on," the white haired man answers.

"Well she'll be more fun alive. Now get out," his voice is the same as the white haired man's.

I look up thankful, but it's a mistake. My heart leaps into my throat as his eyes meet mine and I know I'd be better off in the hands of the white haired man. His eyes are completely black and hungry looking.

"Welcome to the rest of your life Farrah."


	6. Chapter 6

Ch. 5

The guards shove me back into my cell and slam the door. I can't stop trembling or crying or remembering. "Farrah. Listen to me okay, you're strong. Don't give up yet," Annie says from the room next to me.

"Annie! They, they're awful. I didn't know it would be that bad," I sob. The images flash through my mind again and again.

"What did they do to you?" she asks quietly.

"They beat me and called me horrible names."

"You're not horrible Farrah. You do not deserve this. Not matter what they say, ignore them and let me help you sort the truths from the lies."

"Why?" I demand. "You don't know me and you're insane Annie. How could you possibly help me?"

"I'm insane?" she asks surprised.

"Sorry, I thought you knew," I say feeling guilty and upset.

"Nah, an insane person doesn't think about stuff like that. But just because mine's already lost, doesn't mean I can't help you from losing your mind."

I think about this for a moment and all I've endured in the last few hours. Annie might be mental, but she's also brilliant and I could use a friend.

"Okay Annie."


	7. Chapter 7

Ch. 6

I checked myself out in the mirror one last time before heading downstairs. The reflection didn't look like my own, but one belonging to a princess. My dark hair lies perfectly behind a sparkled headband and Cassidy truly picked out the most stunning dress for me; royal blue and showing off my curves.

"Woah…" Jackson murmured as I came through the doorway. "You're… woah."

Taking my hand he led me to his car and we drove off towards the dance. Somewhere along the way, Jackson must of taken a wrong turn and we ended up lost in the middle of nowhere.

I sat beside him quietly, watching the clock as the minutes dwindled down to just a few left before the dance was scheduled to be over. Slowly the car pulled to a stop and I felt Jackson staring at me. Tears stung my eyes and I chewed on the inside of my cheek, trying to keep them from falling. Tonight was supposed to be the perfect night, with dancing, music, laughter, pictures, and everyone clapping when they announced me as Homecoming Queen.

"Farrah," Jackson says softly pulling over. "Can I have this dance?"

I look up stunned and he turns up the radio, switching the station to a slow country song. He gets out of the truck and comes to my side, opening the door and offering his hand. Hesitantly, I take it.

As I do, a bolt of lightning illuminates the sky and it begins pouring rain. We're drenched, our hair is a mess, and my dress is ruined, but I don't care anymore. Together, in the middle of the road, wind, and storm we sway, laugh, and kiss. We dance in the rain.


End file.
